THE_BYTE by Noor Al-Sibai 4/19/2022
Angry Birds
Rocketry is, obviously, a jaw-dropping feat of human ingenuity — but at certain times, it can also be really freakin’ funny.
Case in point: a wonderful shot by NASASpaceFlight photojournalist Nic Ansuini, which appears to show a chagrined face atop one of SpaceX’s Starships prototypes.
FAA-Getaboutit!
Ansuini told Futurism that the photo he posted shows a Starship nosecone likely to be placed atop Ship 25 or 26. The nonplussed face, he says, was likely affixed using spot welding.
Referencing SpaceX’s long-running feud with the FAA, Ansuini provided commentary for the grim-faced nosecone: “the [FAA] will be done soon.”
The simmering quarrel between the FAA and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk began back in January 2021, when the agency scrubbed a Starship launch at the last minute, earning criticism from Musk.
In the ensuing 14 months, the FAA has continued to repeatedly push back its regulatory review of SpaceX’s orbital launches. We’ve since learned that SpaceX didn’t heed FAA warnings that its license could be revoked if it launched without government clearance — a move which ended with a Starship literally exploding.
More:
https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-rocket-snoot
